For an entire week, In Good Company’s 30 volunteers from Clif Bar,
Eileen Fisher, Timberland, 7th Generation, Amy’s Kitchen,
Annie’s Homegrown, and others worked together with Restore the Earth
Foundation and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LAWF) www.wlf@la.gov
to build on the work started last year of shoring up and restoring
fragile wetlands at Pass a Loutre Wildlife Management Area, (PAL), a
site forty (40) miles into the Gulf of Mexico, where the Mississippi
River ends and the Gulf of Mexico begins. This site is critically
important to support the migratory bird flyway.

The group tossed 4,000 Gulf Saver® Bags from barge to boat and from boat
to beach, and then planted over 12,000 EKOgrown®www.ekosystemspartners.org
native grasses and black mangroves. “Our efforts will help stabilize and
protect 20 acres of ecosystem, add valuable acreage for wildlife
habitat, strengthen the hurricane buffer, and remediate oil
contamination using Gulf Saver bags filled with a specially formulated
composted media infused with natural oil eating microbes,” said Lucy
Perna, Effects Marketing.

Our restoration last year survived Hurricane Isaac,” said Melissa
Leebove, Clif Bar, www.clifbar.com
“making the Gulf Saver wetland restoration, “Certified Hurricane Proof”,
which the folks in Venice say is unbelievable. What an incredible
difference a group of passionate people and a year make!”

Helping to restore and rebuild Louisiana wetlands “one bag at a time” is
important to all of us in the United States. Forty (40%) percent of US
coastal wetlands are in Louisiana and ninety (90%) percent of coastal
wetland loss occurs in Louisiana, a football field of wetlands is lost
every hour, said Shane Granier, LAWF Chief Biologist and Manager of PAL.

What’s at stake are some of our Nations most valuable natural resources
that support industries and millions of jobs nationwide from: thirty
(30%) percent of seafood consumed in the US; thirty (30%) percent of US
crude oil production; twenty (20%) percent of natural gas production;
twenty (20%) percent of US commercial fishing catch; eighteen (18%) of
waterborne commerce; #1 habitat for millions of migratory birds; #1
marine nursery and the beginning of the food chain for the Caribbean
Basin.

Volunteers interacted with the Venice community, wetland scientists, oil
and gas and fishing industry folks. During the week, they flew over the
delta wetlands and the restoration site with Southern Seaplane www.southernseaplane.com,
were hosted by Foster Creppels at Woodlands Plantation www.woodlandsplantation.com,
reveled and danced to the Cajun music of Grammy nominated, Steve Riley &
the Mamou Playboys. www.mamouplayboys.com.
“After working our bee-hinds off to make this restoration project a huge
success, we headed to New Orleans to celebrate,” said Brent Bucknum,
Hyphae Design Laboratory, “it wasn’t all work and no play.”

“One of the greatest benefits is that every volunteer that comes here
leaves with a good understanding of the problems we are facing…putting
faces to places and faces to problems. Volunteers leave the experience
transformed and become our ambassadors,” said Shane Granier.

“Restore the Earth Foundation, Inc. has an attitude of ‘let’s go to it,
let’s get it done’. REF is a catalyst for targeting critical sites,
providing innovative successful solutions and getting “boots on the
ground” for environmental restoration. REF’s collaborative partner, In
Good Company and its participating companies are leading by example in
their commitment to making a difference through hands-on, “in the mud”
volunteerism to create a positive impact, that’s the coolest part,”
stated Trebor Victoriano, LAWF.

In early 2013, Restore the Earth Foundation, working with Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, will begin habitat restoration on
Raccoon Island, a barrier island in the Isle Dernieres Barrier Island
Refuge and will also be back at Pass a Loutre in partnership with
Americorps, Wells Fargo Bank, the Coypu and Gulf of Mexico Foundations
and others.